Tuesday, March 06, 2007

Lovely Day - Nearly Spring - Reflected Sunrise










Not pretty pictures today. More to do with scientific exploration. The question has been raised about the peculiarity of red skies in the East at sunset, and in the West at sunrise.

My first reaction was to suspect light pollution but I now think that if the sky conditions are suitable, reflection is the explanation. The Pictures (completely undoctored) show dawn this morning. The first picture is looking due West and picture 2 is looking due East. Number 2 was taken less than a minute after 1, just enough time to disable the burglar alarm and go into the TV room. It is hard to believe that 1 is a product of 2. But I am quite satisfied now that it is reflection and not pollution.

I'm sure that the 'meteorologists' among will say "Knew all that already" but I'm still on a learning curve.

My diary turned up. The OAG had hidden it in a most inaccessible place behind the shelves in my bedroom and it could only be recovered by Y on her hands and knees. She's better at it than me. But wait till I've shed 6 stones ! I think it is a symptom of old age that, if you get down on the floor for something you have a quick look round to see if there is anything else you can do while you are down there.

Our National Trust lecture this evening is about Brodsworth Hall about which we know very little. Might google it if I have time. So long as there are slides, preferably on a digital projector !

My cookery venture today was some chicken broth which involved me chopping up some chicken really small. I had previously soaked overnight some 'broth mix' from Lidl which contained - Pearly Barley (as Jill calls it), Red Lentils, Yellow Split Peas, Green Split Peas, and Marrowfat Peas. The packet was completely devoid of instructions about quantities and I over-catered, not allowing sufficiently for the 'swell factor'. It was therefore, what one could call 'hearty'. Eminently edible though with fresh continental cobs. I had a Kaiser Cob and Y had a seeded French job. And we shall have it again tomorrow. Can't be that fattening !

.. More fruit, less bread, smaller plates - and we shall be as slim as this sunflower.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I agree that reflection must be the answer.

I think Tony Soprano was considering weight loss but now that his Alzheimer afflicted uncle Junior has shot him he may put it on the back burner. Can't wait for episode 2.

I cooked some shin beef in preparation for a meat & potato pie but I am not altogether happy with the result. I used a Lidl beef stock cube but I think I would have been better with Bisto Best Onion Gravy powder or an Oxo cube (neither of which contain beef!). I had some as a stew with homemade Yorkshire pud and roasted veg which were particularly excellent (we find they vary every time: today’s were mainly swede, parsnip, mushrooms, French shallots and turnip with smaller quantities of sweet potato and butternut squash – I forgot the carrot and decided against the leek).

I can recommend Sandra’s weightloss diet of no grain apart from rice and oats (except, strangely, pasta?) no dairy products, no pulses except chick peas - but have no intention of trying it myself). She does enjoy her radishes, pumpkin seeds and red peppers and says she feels better than she has done for years. Surprisingly, she has boundless energy.